'That's not gonna happen here': Calls for justice mount as mourners remember Brady Francis

Friends and family continuedtheir calls for justice forBrady Francis at his funeral Saturday in Elsipogtog.

It was standing room only for theservice atSt. Anne's Roman Catholic Church, where more than500 people showed up to pay their respects to the popular young man.

Francis, 22, died Feb. 24 afterhe was struck by a pickup truck while waiting for a ride home froma party. The incident happened in Saint-Charles, apredominantly francophone town about 12 kilometres south of the ElsipogtogFirst Nation.

There have yet to be any arrests in the case.

During the funeral, many people wore hoodiesbearing apicture of Francis to highlight to need to bring whomever was responsible for his death to justice.

One of them was Jesse Augustine. Heknew Francis from the time theywere teenagers.

He said he is devastated by his death, andexpressed frustration with the lack of an arrest.

"It's bogus. This guy walked away like nothing happened. This justice system needs to be looked at," he said.

"Aboriginal people we're human too. We're not just some people that we're human too man."

Dennis Simon was Francis' neighbour and knew him all his life.

He said Francis was "one of a kind" and loved by the entire community.

"Basically, we are very shocked and want to show people that there is justice. There should be justice for Brady," he said.

"To get somebody responsible for his deathto pay for what he did, to open up and freely say that he should pay for his crimes. That's all. That's justice for Brady."

Since Francis' death, many people have been posting on social media using the hashtag #justiceforbrady, echoing thesocial media tags used to denounce jury verdicts in the killings ofColtenBoushieand TinaFontaine.

Outside the funeral, Ruth Levi, a band councillor for theElsipogtogFirst Nation, said the community doesnot want to see Francis' family and friends deprived of justice in his death.

"That's not gonna happen here.We are gonna keep fighting for justice," she said.

"Brady did not deserve to leave us like that."

At the same time, she said she was happy to see the outpouring of support for Francis' family from the community.

"What's going to happen is beyond us. But Ithink the whole community rallying around justice for Brady, that's what's keeping us going," she said.

"It's very important for the community to have justice."

The RCMP said Thursday they have released theGMC pickup truck that was seized after Francis' death, sparking angry comments on social media from some members of the community.

Francis' grandfather, Kenneth Francis, took to Facebookto pleadfor patience as police continue to investigate his grandson's death.

Francis is survived by his parents, Dana Francis and Jessica Jane Perley, his sisters,Darienne Jane Perley Francis, Bridgette Perley-Francis, and Sara Annie Jayne Perley-Francis, andhisbrotherMathias Francis, all of Elsipogtog, as well as several extended family members.